Retainer and spacer for ball-bearings.



No. 785,150. PATENTED MAR. 21 1905.

Y c. H. CHAPMAN.

RETAINER AND SPACER FOR BALL BEARINGS.

APPLIUATION rum) DEO.18, 1902. RENEWED DEC. 7. 190a.

' $i 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 785,150. I PATENTED MAR. 21, 1905.

c. H. CHAPMAN.

RETAINER AND SPACER FOR BALL BEARINGS.

urmouxon FILED 9110.13, 1902. RENEWED DEG. 7. 1903.

' 2 SHEETS-483E121 2.

NITED STATES Patented March 21, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

RETAINER AND SPACER FOR BALL-BEARINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,150, dated March21, 1905.

Application filed December 18, 1902. Renewed December 7, 1903. SerialNo. 184,228.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. CHAPMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Groton, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inRetainers and Spacers for Antifriction-Bearings, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the retainers and spacers of ball-bearings, sooflicially designated in the classification of the United States PatentOflice; and it consists of a ring-like frame constructed in two parts ofsheet metal and adapted to contain load-carrying balls andseparating-ballsinterposed between the loadcarrying balls and heldwithin the ring at or near the center line of the load-carrying balls,all as I will proceed to set forth and finally claim.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, in the severalfigures of which like parts aresimilarly designated, Figure 1 is a frontelevation. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation. Fig. 3 is a top plan view. Fig. 4is a crosssection takeh in the plane of line A B, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is arear elevation of the front half or side of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a frontelevation of the half forming the back, as shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is atop view of the half shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a top view of the halfshown in Fig. 6.

1 represents the front half, as separately shown in Figs. 5 and 7. 2represents the back half, as separately shown in Figs. 6 and 8. Thepart1 represents what I term the front side of my device, and it isconstructed out of sheet metal and may be conveniently and economicallymade by striking up by the use of dies, substantially as follows: First,a piece of sheet metal is placed under and punched out with a punchformed to punch out an annular blank of the required shape. This blankis then struck up by dies into the desired form, as shown by Figs. 5 and7, with the portions 3 curved longitudinally and transversely to formparts of sockets or pockets for the loadcarrying balls 4 and withportions at opposite sides bent to form tubes 5, constituting pocketsfor the reception of the separatingballs 6. (Shown by dotted lines, Fig.1.) The portions 3 are provided with the lips 7. The tubular portionshave lips 8, and said tubular portions extend laterally and rearwardlyfrom the main body of the front side, as shown in Fig. 7. The back side2 of the device also is constructed of sheet metal, blanked out andstruck up in dies, with the straight portions 9 alternating with curvedportions 10, which latter cooperate with the curved portions 3 of thefront side to complete the sockets for the load-carrying balls, whilethe straight portions 9 are made with slots 11, through which the lips 8project and are then bent back upon the back side, as indicated in Figs.2 and 4, to unite the two sides. The inside circle of the back side ismade of a diameter to fit loosely and revolve around upon the cone,which insures the maintenance of the separating-balls on a center lineof the load-carrying balls.

In assembling the ball-retainer the projecting lips 8 of the front sideare passed through the slots 10 of the back side, after which the lips 8are separated and riveted down tight on the outside of the back side, asshown in Figs.

2, 3, and 4:, and the retainer is then ready for.

insertion of the balls, which is done as follows: I first place aload-carrying ball 4. into the circular opening formed by theconjunction of portions 3 and 10, (see Fig. 3,) after which I bend overthe lip 7, as shown in Fig. 4, which prevents the load-carrying ballfrom dropping out of the ball-retainer. I then place the separating-ball6 into the hole formed by the tube 5. (See Fig. 7.) 1 then place aload-carrying ball into the next circular opening and bend over the lip7, as before described, and continue placing in the separating-balls andload-carrying balls alternately until the circle is completed. Theball-retainer is then ready to be placed in the bearing.

By this construction I not only produce a ball retainer, carrier, orcage of greatstrength and lightness, but I also greatly reduce the cost.

I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not limit my inventionto the specific form of construction herein shown and described, as I amwell aware that different forms of dies can be made which will strike upa ball-carrier in two pieces, which will when riveted together produce asheet-metal ball-retainer of substantially my construction.

What I claim is p 1. A ball-retainer, composed of two pieces of sheetmetal provided with sockets to receive the load-carrying balls andtubular connections alternating with the sockets to receive and sustainthe separating-balls in their relative positions with theload-carryingballs.

2. A ball-retainer, composed of two pieces of sheet metal provided withsockets to receive the load-carrying balls, and tubular connectionsprojecting from one of the pieces and alternating with the sockets toreceive and sustain the separating-balls, and interlocked with the otherpiece.

3. A ball-retainer, comprising sheet-metal halves, constructed withcurved portions to receive the load-carrying balls, and one of saidhalves constructed with tubular portions alternating with the curvedportions to receive the separating-balls.

4. A ball-retainer, comprising front and back sides, the formerconstructed with curved portions each having a lip, and tubular-lippedportions, and the latter having curved portions to match the curvedportions of the front side, and slots to receive the lips of the tubularportions of said front side.

5. A hall-retainer, comprising essentially a front side of sheet metal,with lipped curved portions, and projecting tubular portions havinglips, and a back side having curved portions complemental to the curvedportions of the front side, and slotted straight portions arranged nextthe tubular portions of the front side and adapted to be engaged by thelips of said tubular portions and thereby unite the two sides.

6. A ball-retainer, comprising sheet-metal halves, constructed withcurved portions to receive the load-carrying balls, and one of saidhalves constructed with tubular portions alternating with the curvedportions to receive the separating-balls, the other half having aninterior bearing-surface.

7. In a ball-bearing, a ball-carrier consisting of members of shapedsheet metal and secured to each other, leaving bearing-ball pockets withconnecting spacing-ball pockets between, said spacing-ball pocketsextending concentrically of said carrier.

8. A ball-carrier, for ball-bearings, comprising a frame provided withbearing-ball pockets and spacing-ball pockets connecting saidbearing-ball pockets and so arranged relatively to the latter that thecenter of each spacing-ball will be at all times in alinement with thecenters of the adjacent bearing-balls.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day ofDecember, A. D. 1902.

CHARLES H. CHAPMAN.

Witnesses:

W. E. PUTNEY, B. A. GOODMAN.

